Shadows of the Night
by nonvoxsedvotum
Summary: Hunters of Artemis girl gang AU. Bianca wants nothing more than to join the Hunters, but as she spends time with them, she realizes just how dangerous these girls can be.


**Inspired in part by the short story "Huntress" by Tamora Pierce and the novel ****_Unleashed_**** by Kristopher Reisz. If you haven't read them, definitely do so; they're excellent!**

* * *

The night was bitter cold. Bianca breathed on her fingers, wishing she had something more substantial than her threadbare gloves. Rubbing her hands together, she looked up at the silver-jacketed backs of the girls in front of her. They walked in a tight pack, joking and laughing like they weren't roaming the city streets just past midnight.

Bianca wasn't sure where they were going, but she knew better than to ask. She didn't really count as a person to the Hunters yet—she had to earn the right to speak and be spoken to like an equal. So she kept her mouth shut and walked a few paces behind them, shoving her hands deep in her pockets.

Some blocks later, a few of the girls split off from the group and branched out, winding easily through the streets. No one commented on it, and Thalia led the rest of the group onward, deeper into the heart of the city.

At length, the group slowed in front of a row of houses that looked as though they'd been abandoned since before Bianca was born. Thalia stopped in front of an exposed brick wall half-covered with graffiti. A nearby streetlight threw huge shadows on the wall as the girls faced it. Bianca noticed Zoë rolling her eyes as she stood slightly apart from the rest of the group, scanning the street.

Their breath turned a sickly yellow under the streetlight. Thalia pulled a can of silver spray paint out of her jacket pocket. "Watch for cops," she ordered, and then moved over to the wall. She slashed the Hunters' sign—a capital H, one side curved, with an arrow forming the letter's horizontal bar—onto the wall with a few short strokes. "Perfect," she whispered, pocketing the can again.

"We should go," Zoë said, one hand resting on the hunting knife at her hip. "Artemis will be waiting for us."

"She can wait a little longer," Thalia said carelessly. "We've been out later than this."

"It is not you I am worried about," Zoë said. She glanced at Bianca and the other girls followed suit. Bianca looked down the street, pretending not to notice.

Someone about a block down gave a short, sharp whistle. The girls' heads jerked up and around. Thalia thrust the spray paint can in her pocket as a police cruiser rounded the corner.

"Back," she hissed, and the Hunters melted into the shadows. Bianca didn't understand how they could do that so easily. One moment, they stood there right before your eyes, and the next, they vanished completely. She had to content herself with pressing herself against the wall of a building, out of the circle of light, and hoping the cops didn't see her.

The cop car cruised by, in no hurry on the near-empty street. Bianca held her breath without realizing it, praying that the cop wouldn't see her. She wasn't doing anything illegal—not technically—but a teenage girl roaming the city streets past midnight was bound to raise some eyebrows. Not to mention the fact that there was a recently vandalized wall not six feet away.

Several moments passed as the cruiser idled by the corner, waiting for the light to change. Bianca counted her heartbeats and willed herself to be still. She couldn't tell where the Hunters were hidden, if they were even there at all. She didn't think they'd abandon her—but she wouldn't put it past them, either.

Finally, the light changed and the cop car drove on. Bianca let out the breath she'd been holding and eased her tense posture. She looked around, still unable to see the Hunters. Then, in the space between one blink and the next, they appeared as if they'd been standing there the whole time.

Phoebe smiled grimly. "They're supposed to be the watchdogs of the city, but they never look closely enough to see anything."

Thalia tugged on one of her gloves. "Are you in a cryptic mood again, Phoebe?"

"We are leaving _now_," Zoë said firmly.

"To close for comfort, Zo?" Astrid asked teasingly.

"Yes," Zoë said. "Forgive me, but I would rather not be questioned by an officer tonight. It is late and I am tired."

"You heard the lady. Back to HQ," Thalia said. "You go on home," she added to Bianca. "You did good today, tenderfoot. Keep it up."

A few girls murmured good night's and see you tomorrow's to Bianca as she started her walk home. Sometimes she was allowed to return to the Hunters' headquarters, but tonight plainly wasn't one of those nights. She wasn't about to complain, though. She was tired as well, and she had to make sure her brother was all right.

Bianca made it home before her fingers went numb, which was a welcome change. The apartment was chilly, as usual, so Bianca didn't bother taking off her jacket when she stepped through the door. She could hear the garbled drone of the TV coming from the living room.

"I'm home, Nico," she called as she kicked off her shoes.

The volume on the television dropped as Bianca stepped into the living room. "Hey," Nico said. He sat on the couch in his pajamas: flannel pants and an old t-shirt.

"Why aren't you in bed yet?"

He shrugged. "I like this show."

Bianca saw through his lie, though. "You don't need to wait up for me," she said gently. "I'm fine."

Nico looked down at his hands and said nothing.

Bianca leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "Go to sleep," she said. "You have school tomorrow."

"So do you," he grumbled, but he turned off the TV and went anyway. Bianca watched to make sure he was really in bed before heading off to her own room. The night had taken a lot out of her, and she was glad to get some rest. She only wished the Hunters hadn't kept her out as late as they had. She had no right to complain, though. If that's what it took to get in, she would do it—in fact, she would do anything to join the Hunters. Anything at all.

/

School drifted by the next day. Come lunchtime, Bianca held her tray and glanced around the cafeteria. The Hunters sat at their usual table by the window, clustered close together and ignoring everyone else. When Bianca walked past, Astrid raised her chin in greeting before rejoining the girls' hushed conversation. It wasn't an invitation to join; Bianca knew that much. She would have to prove herself much more than she already had before they let her in.

She slid into her usual seat near the back of the cafeteria and pulled out her algebra homework. She'd been so busy in the evenings lately that her grades were starting to slip. She didn't have much choice, really—she had to go out with the Hunters whenever they requested it of her, which was almost every night. As a result, Bianca rarely had time to do her homework now, and had to come up with new ways to get it done during the day.

After lunch, Bianca stood at her locker and rifled through it, looking for her chemistry folder. As she did, the Hunters swept past in a group, beautiful and untouchable. Heads turned to watch them, Bianca's included. She still had trouble believing that they'd invited her to join them.

It had all begun about a month before. Bianca stood at her locker at the end of her lunch period, rifling idly through it.

"Bianca."

The girl froze. She recognized the voice but never thought it might ever be directed at her. Briefly, she wondered what she'd done to deserve it, but there wasn't much she could do about it now. She put her geometry book carefully in her locker and turned to face her caller.

Zoë Nightshade stood close, arms crossed, looking almost bored. Her long black hair hung in a braid down her back and a silver headband kept any stray strands from falling in her face. Her dark eyes never wavered from Bianca's face.

"Um, yes?" Bianca said, as politely as she could. She didn't know Zoë well, but a gym class with her Bianca's freshman year had quickly taught the younger girl that she was not someone to cross. Bianca, if truth be told, was a little afraid of her.

"Artemis has invited you to the join the Hunters this Thursday," Zoë said. "It will be a sort of ride-along, I suppose."

Bianca couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. "Are you…inviting me to join the Hunters?"

Disdain flickered through Zoë's expression. "No. But Artemis believes you have potential. If you met her expectations, then maybe."

Bianca chewed her lip, considering. The Hunters weren't influential in the school or the city, but people avoided them all the same. With their close-knit, female-exclusive group and general ferocity, they had a way of ensuring no one messed with them.

"I need an answer. Class will start soon," Zoë said, startling Bianca from her thoughts.

"I—yes. I'll come with you."

The barest hint of a smile tugged the corners of Zoë's mouth. "Good. Meet us in Reservoir Park at eleven. We will take it from there. Dress warmly."

The bell rang. Zoë turned and melted into the crowd without waiting for Bianca's response.

/

Several hours after school ended, Bianca stood outside the concrete shack the Hunters used as a headquarters, waiting to be let in. She stamped her feet and breathed steam into the air, trying to occupy herself instead of thinking about how her fingers and toes were slowly growing numb. She remembered when Nico had been young; he loved chilly days because he could pretend he was a dragon.

After a few more minutes, Cynthia opened the door. "Come on in," she said, tugging on the hem of her silver ski jacket. Bianca tried not to rush into the relative warmth of the shack—though it wasn't heated, it was still out of the wind and much less exposed than the street was.

Cynthia led her through the shack into the other room, where the Hunters had set up a long table to sit at when they held meetings. To her surprise, someone sat at the usually-vacated seat at the head of the table. There was no doubt who this was, even though Bianca had never met her before and the other Hunters rarely mentioned her: Artemis, the Hunters' leader. She was a small girl, short and compact, with long auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked younger than Bianca had expected. Despite this, she had an air of command about her, and Bianca got the feeling that few would dare cross her—and those who did probably ended up regretting it.

After studying Bianca for what felt like an eternity, Artemis finally said, "So you're my new recruit."

"Uh, yes," Bianca said, resisting the urge to add a "ma'am."

"Hm." Artemis sized her up, and Bianca felt like she was being x-rayed. "Well, you look promising, at least. Do you have a boyfriend?"

Out of all the questions Bianca might have expected, that wasn't one of them. "Sorry, what?"

"Are you currently romantically involved with any boy?" Artemis said with exaggerated patience.

"I—no. I'm not."

"Good. I don't allow my girls to have boyfriends. I find it distracts them." Artemis's lip curled slightly and Bianca was put in mind of an animal's snarl. "And men are more trouble than they're worth, anyway."

A few of the Hunters smiled at this and a couple nudged each other. Bianca couldn't fathom what had been so funny about Artemis's comment, as the look of contempt on her face had been all too genuine.

"Well." Artemis folded her hands. "It was good to meet you. You may head home now. I have a few things to discuss with my Hunters."

Bianca, recognizing the dismissal, nodded. "Nice to meet you, too."

"I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of each other very soon," Artemis called after her as Bianca left. Again, Bianca wasn't sure what she meant. She felt relieved when she made it back onto the street; the Hunters' leader made her more than a little nervous. But, Bianca supposed, you didn't get to be the leader of a gang of girls by being sweet and gentle.

Nico jumped when she walked through the door of the apartment. "Jesus!" he yelped. "You're back already?"

"They had official Hunter business to discuss," Bianca said, shedding her sneakers.

"Oh," Nico said. His jaw had tightened slightly at the mention of the Hunters, but that wasn't unusual.

"What were you going to have for dinner?" Bianca asked, pretending not to notice as she went to the kitchen.

"I dunno," Nico said, following her. "Whatever was there."

"Hm." Bianca poked through their small pantry for a minute before unearthing a couple cans of SpaghettiOs. "How's this?"

Her brother shrugged and Bianca had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. Sometimes he got in moods like this—he was almost a teenager and she supposed it was normal, but they were still irritating.

"Well, go wash up. Dinner'll be ready really soon."

A few minutes later, Bianca tipped the SpaghettiOs into Nico's bowl. "Will that be enough?"

"Yeah," he said, staring down at the bowl without much interest.

"Are you sure?" she asked, a little worried now. No matter how bad a mood he was in, Nico usually devoured whatever food was put in front of him with relish.

He picked up his fork. "Yeah, I'm fine."

As they ate, however, Bianca noticed that her brother was unusually subdued, picking at his food more than he ate it.

"What's wrong, Nico?" she finally asked.

He seemed reluctant to look up from his bowl for a moment, so she waited for him to speak, not wanting to pressure him and have him refuse to answer.

After a few minutes, he said, "You can't join them, Bianca. Not for good."

"Says who?"

Her younger brother tangled his fingers in the hem of his shirt. "I don't think they're everything they say they are."

"Nico." Bianca took his hand. "I'm not going to leave you for good. But the Hunters can help us. They can offer us protection. And…" She bowed her head. "I feel like I belong with the Hunters. I feel at home with them."

"You already have a home." Nico yanked his hand from hers. "Or did you forget that?"

"Nico!" Bianca called, but he'd already run to his room and slammed the door. She sighed and slouched down in her seat. She knew she wouldn't be able to convince him of the benefits the Hunters would give them until she actually joined, and even then it might take him some time to realize how good this was for them. As it was, she'd just have to be patient. She picked up his half-finished dinner and covered it with tinfoil before placing it in the fridge. He could reheat it when he was hungry later.

It had been a long time since Bianca had had time to herself in the evenings. She didn't even have homework to do, oddly enough, since she'd finished it all after taking a test that day. While it felt good to relax, she also felt weirdly alone. She had grown used to the almost-constant camaraderie of the Hunters in the night. To stave off loneliness and remind herself that she was just fine on her own, Bianca turned on the TV and watched Buffy reruns until it was almost midnight. It didn't work very well. She kept imagining what the Hunters were doing—still talking in the shack, maybe about Hunter business or just chatting. They might be prowling the streets now, tagging buildings and reveling in their freedom. Eventually, Bianca got sick of thinking about it and decided to go to sleep. As she settled into bed, she thought she heard the laughter of teen girls on the wind.

/

School the next day was uneventful. As usual, the Hunters acknowledged Bianca but minimally and she was allowed to go through the day in relative peace. To put it bluntly, the Hunters made her nervous. Their fierce disdain for others had once attracted her, but she was starting to find it grating. Far from becoming more comfortable with them as she got to know them, she only found more things to fear the more time she spent with them. All the same, she wanted to join them. Even if they could be a little nerve-wracking, she still felt like she belonged with them. And she was sure her apprehension would vanish once she joined them. She was just worried about making it in, she assured herself. The Hunters weren't bad people. They were offering protection and a fresh start, and isn't that what she truly wanted?

"Bianca."

Halfway to English, the girl stopped and turned to see Zoë regarding her, expression inscrutable. Something about her bottomless black gaze made Bianca feel like a prey animal, a rabbit quivering under the merciless gaze of the wolf about to devour it.

"Are you really sure you wish to do this?" Zoë asked quietly.

"Sorry?"

Zoë gestured, a touch impatiently. "Become a Hunter. It is not a decision to take lightly, you know." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You cannot have any doubts."

Bianca felt a sliver of trepidation. Was this conversation merely a coincidence, or did Zoë somehow know about her talk with Nico the night before?

She swallowed. "I do want it. I want to be a Hunter."

"There is no weakness here, you know."

"I'm not weak."

"You are, but we all were once. The Hunters make you strong. And if we cannot—" The corners of Zoë's mouth tightened slightly. Then she shrugged. "Well, what use do we have for you, then?"

The warning was clear as day to Bianca, as was the subtle threat behind it. Hiding the sudden flare of nerves that prickled along her skin, she forced a smile. "I'll take that to heart, then."

"As well you should." Zoë glanced at the clock. "You should get to class, or you'll be late. I will see you later, Bianca."

"Bye," Bianca said. She began her trek to her next class. All the way down the hall, until she turned the corner, she felt Zoë's eyes burning into her back.

/

A few days later, Bianca and the Hunters walked the city streets, enjoying some unseasonably mild weather. While it wasn't exactly warm, it wasn't bone-achingly cold either, and the girls were able to unzip their silver ski jackets without fear of frostbite. Bianca was enjoying herself, laughing and talking with the Hunters, and for the first time she started to feel like one of them.

"Hey, you. You girls. Stop right there."

Bianca halted immediately at the gravelly growl, but the other girls took their time in stopping. They turned to face their assailant, a grubby-looking man who appeared a little unsteady on his feet. Bianca felt a stab of fear in her stomach, but the other girls didn't seem fazed.

"What is your business?" Zoë asked, a hand on her hip. Bianca didn't think it was a coincidence that it was the same hip on which she carried her knife.

"You think it's funny to play games like this?" the man spat. "Think you can come onto these streets and act like you're hot shit—think you're so cool, _hunting _people—"

"Oh dear," Thalia said, sounding bored. "We're being menaced."

The Hunters laughed. None of them seemed bothered in the slightest by the man, who was making Bianca definitely nervous now. She would have bet anything that he had a weapon somewhere on his person, and she didn't know how well silver bows would stand against a gun.

"You girls," the man growled, advancing, "think it's funny to run around causing trouble. Someone oughta set you right—" He swung clumsily at Thalia, who ducked out of reach with ease. She spun on her heel and darted down the street.

Laughing, Astrid followed her, dancing around their pursuer on light feet. The other girls came after, Bianca on their heels. All the Hunters had the great stamina and speed of cross-country runners, so Bianca found herself lagging behind after a few blocks. She knew she couldn't be caught, though. It wouldn't end well for her if she was.

Zoë turned down an alley and the other girls followed. Within moments, they'd reached the end and split neatly into three groups, running in all different directions. Bianca made to follow them but got confused as to which group to follow. Her moment's hesitation caused her to stumble, and before she knew it, the assailant had caught up with her. She was cornered.

The man, panting heavily, pulled a gun from the waistband of his jeans and Bianca's heart leapt into her throat. He certainly wasn't playing around, and judging from the crazed look in his eyes, her final moments were approaching fast.

Distant laughter snaked around them and bounced off the alley's brick walls. Almost involuntarily, Bianca glanced up to see a lithe shape kneeling on the rooftop above the alley. Though she couldn't possibly have seen Bianca looking at her, the Hunter gave the girl a lazy salute before standing and striding unhurriedly out of sight.

Bianca bit back a whimper. The Hunters had abandoned her; she would get no help from them. But why? What had she done?

_There's no weakness here. _Zoë's words slid unbidden through Bianca's head. _The Hunters make you strong. And if we cannot—well, what use do we have for you, then?_

She had failed. She would never be a Hunter; she wasn't strong enough. They would leave her here to die in this alley, and Nico would never know what happened to her.

A silver streak sliced through the air and embedded itself a scant inch from Bianca's face. _Impossible, _she thought hazily. _Arrows can't pierce brick. Imposs—_

The man sneering over her lost all his bravado at the sight. "The fuck, man?" He turned away from her to look up at the rooftops—his fatal mistake.

Another arrow arced from the roof, hitting him square in the eye. He fell without a sound, thudding hard against the pavement. Blood spread out, coloring the dirty slush a dull red.

Bianca almost choked on her shock, but forced herself to look up at the rooftops. A Hunter—now she recognized Astrid's white-blonde hair—lowered her bow and waved at Bianca, then disappeared from sight. Bianca pressed herself against the dirty brick and commanded herself to breathe slowly, trying to lower the rate of her heart.

A few minutes later, Thalia, Astrid, and Cynthia jogged up, breathing hard and smiling. Cynthia stepped lightly around Bianca to examine the dead man. Astrid winked at Bianca and reached around her to pull her arrow out of the wall.

"Nice shot," Cynthia said after a moment. "Right in the eye. Perfect."

"Of course," Astrid said, twirling the arrow between her fingers. "You know I never miss."

Zoë strode up, her bow still in her hand. "That was sloppy," she said to Astrid. "You know we do not hunt during the day."

"Come on," Astrid said. "What was I supposed to do? We're the Hunters, Zoë. It's in my nature. The time of day doesn't really—"

"Bianca," Cynthia interrupted, "what's wrong?"

The girl stared at the man's body, unable to look away. "You just—shot him," she whispered. "I can't really—I don't understand."

"He was threatening us," Astrid said, sounding almost bored. "We had to take care of it somehow, right?"

"But you killed him!"

"He was going to do the same—or worse—to you," Thalia pointed out. "Why are you complaining?"

"Did you expect this to be all unicorns and rainbows?" Phoebe asked. "If someone threatens one of our own, we take care of it."

Bianca opened her mouth to protest further, but she saw the hard look Zoë was giving her and decided it would be safer to let it go. She forced a smile to show she wasn't upset anymore.

"A thank you would not be out of order," Zoë said quietly. It wasn't a suggestion so much as a command.

"Thanks, Astrid," Bianca said. "I owe you one."

"Hey, no problem. I'd do it for any one of my sisters."

Phoebe elbowed Astrid sharply in the ribs at that, but the blonde girl was unfazed. She just winked at Bianca and put her arrow back in its sheath.

"We should go back to headquarters," Zoë said. "Artemis will be waiting for us, and we do not want to stick around."

Bianca had an absurd moment where she wondered what Zoë was talking about. Then she remembered the dead man lying a few feet away. It may take a while, be he would surely be found. And—Bianca's stomach gave a lurch—he had a silver arrow in his eye. And who else used those in the middle of the city? The Hunters—and her—could run all they liked, but the police would run tests and ask questions and before long someone would tell them about the band of girls that walked the streets with silver bows and quivers on their backs. It was just a matter of time before they were all arrested for murder.

Maybe they could claim self-defense, Bianca thought desperately. Or maybe it would just be better to take the arrow out now…then it might take longer for the police to find them. She turned to mention this to Zoë—and almost choked when she saw the body.

There was no arrow in his eye. In fact, there was no sign he'd been shot at all. Even the blood that had stained the slush was gone. Bianca couldn't believe it. She took a few steps closer, just to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.

Thalia noticed. "Whatcha doing, Bianca?"

"Where did the arrow go?" Bianca asked faintly. "The one that—that killed that man—it's not there."

"What arrow?" Thalia said. She winked. "Come on, tenderfoot. Let's head back." She held up a hand. "Wait, I almost forgot." She pulled her can of silver spray paint out of her pocket and slashed the Hunters' sign on the brick wall of the alley. "There. Much better. Let's go."

The Hunters buzzed with energy on the walk back to the headquarters. Bianca, on the other hand, felt more than a little sick. Scenes from her recent ordeal kept flashing in her head like they were superimposed on her brain. She couldn't help but wonder if the afternoon would have ended differently if she'd just been a little bit faster and escaped the alley with the rest of the girls.

"Hey, quit worrying about it," Thalia said, correctly guessing her thoughts. "That guy was scum. He was on his way out anyway."

This did little to comfort Bianca, though, and she spent the rest of the walk behind the rest of the group, thinking hard and trying not to bite her nails.

Zoë halted the group outside the concrete shack's doors. "Bianca," she said, and gestured her forward.

Bianca went up with some apprehension, wondering if she was about to be punished for getting caught.

"Before we enter, I would like to congratulate you. Your probationary period is up, and Artemis has decided to make you a member of the Hunters."

The other girls broke into whistles and cheers. Astrid nudged a stunned Bianca with her elbow. "Welcome to the club."

Bianca wasn't sure what to think. On one hand, this was what she'd been wanting for months. On the other, the afternoon's events had permanently changed her view of the Hunters. She wasn't sure she wanted to join anymore, but she couldn't see a way to refuse gracefully. After all, she knew what these girls were capable of now. The last thing she needed to do was make them angry.

Thalia and Zoë shooed the girls into the headquarters. Artemis waited for them in the meeting room, holding a silver arrow in one hand. "Hello, Bianca," she said. "I assume Zoë told you the good news?"

"Yes," Bianca said. The other girls threaded through the room and took their seats at the table, lounging in them like big cats.

"Excellent." Artemis held her free hand out toward Bianca. "Give me your hand."

"I…what? Why?"

Zoë held up her own hand. A thin scar cut across the base of her thumb. "It is your initiation," she said. "It is just a quick cut. You barely feel it."

Bianca wasn't afraid of the pain, though. Something about the ritual—spilled blood, a scar—seemed suddenly very binding and very permanent.

Artemis was looking hard at her. "You want to join my Hunters, don't you?" she asked, and her tone left no room for disagreement.

"Of—of course I do," Bianca said. "It's just—" But she didn't have a good argument, and the words died on her tongue. To buy herself time, she asked, "What about my brother?"

Artemis shrugged. "He is a man. I'm sure the world will accommodate him."

"He's a kid!"

"Not for much longer," Astrid pointed out. "C'mon, Bianca, quit worrying about it. That's one of the great things about being a Hunter—no responsibility. Everything's cool."

Artemis held out her hand and Bianca knew her time was up. She placed her right hand in Artemis's, who gripped it tightly. She gave Bianca a long, searching look, and Bianca had to force herself to meet the leader of the Hunters' eyes. Then, without a word or a warning, she drew the edge of the silver arrow over the base of Bianca's thumb.

Bianca forced herself not to hiss with pain as her blood welled up and dripped onto the floor. The Hunters watched in silence until Artemis released Bianca, at which point they broke into whistles and cheers again, standing to clap Bianca on the back. Thalia bandaged her hand with a grin, saying, "Welcome to the Hunters, tenderfoot."

Artemis pressed the arrow she had used into Bianca's free hand. "Your first arrow," she said. "Use it well."

Bianca wasn't sure if thanks were necessary or even proper, but she didn't have time to make up her mind. The moment her fingers closed around the arrow's shaft, Artemis turned and walked away from the crowd, into the shack's front room. None of the other Hunters seemed to notice her disappearance, or care if they did.

"Bianca," Zoë said. Bianca turned to face her and saw that she was carrying a silver ski jacket, hunting knife, bow, and quiver of arrows. "As a Hunter, this is your uniform. Wear it with pride and use it with courage."

"Thank you," Bianca said, accepting the items from Zoë. Though she'd coveted these symbols of Hunter-dom since she'd first laid eyes on them, she was suddenly apprehensive. These were real weapons, and she couldn't forget how carelessly and easily Astrid had shot the man in the alley. She had the power to do that now—and she wasn't sure she wanted it.

Zoë seemed to be waiting for Bianca to try on her new gear, so she did, if only to placate her. She was grateful for the jacket's warmth, at least, even if her hands shook a little as she belted the knife around her waist and adjusted the strap of the quiver to fit her. Zoë looked her up and down and granted her a rare smile.

"It suits you," she said. She looked around as if someone had called her name, then excused herself with a nod and melted back into the crowd.

Bianca glanced around—everyone seemed occupied, chatting and laughing with each other and paying little attention to her now that the initiation was over. If she was sneaky, she might be able to slip out of the shack and head home. She wanted to see Nico, talk to him, explain that she'd made the wrong choice and that they had to get out. All she'd wanted was a little freedom—she never wanted to kill anyone or ditch her family. This Hunter business was way over her head.

Acting as casual as possible, Bianca sidled through the crowd of Hunters, accepting congratulations with as natural a smile as she could manage. Soon, she reached the doorway that led to the entrance room. She glanced behind her. No one appeared to have noticed her disappearance, even though this was technically her party. Even so, her skin prickled with tension as she slipped through the doorway and into the seemingly-deserted entranceway. Something was wrong.

"Hey," Thalia said from behind her.

Bianca glanced over her shoulder at the other girl, then turned to face the door again—only to find it blocked by Phoebe.

"Where are you going?" Phoebe asked. Though her tone was nonchalant, her posture was anything but—Bianca wasn't going anywhere. The other Hunters filled in behind Bianca, fanning out like they wanted to hem her in.

Bianca adopted what she hoped was a casual position. "Home," she said, trying to slow her now-racing heart. "I want to—to see Nico."

Artemis stepped out of the crowd like she'd been there all along. A slight frown creased her forehead as she regarded Bianca. "Why?"

"Well, I—I mean, it's just—"

"You were blooded in," Zoë reminded her. "You are a Hunter now. We are your family, and this is your home."

She was right. Bianca had spilled her blood, and she didn't have any excuses. There was a long silence. Every Hunter stared at Bianca, unblinking, waiting for her to make a move.

Bianca fingered her bowstring slowly, trying to think. "Let me just…say goodbye," she said. "Please?"

Artemis and Zoë glanced at each other, communicating silently. After a long, tense moment, Artemis gave a short nod. "Very well. Make it quick."

Everyone's eyes were on Bianca as she stepped around Phoebe and walked out of the shack. It had grown dark while she'd been in headquarters, and the temperature had dropped significantly. The cold air was a shock on her lungs, but she didn't mind. It slowed her panicked breathing and cleared her head a little. She could do this. As long as she kept her head about her and moved quickly, there was no reason she wouldn't be able to make it out of this in one piece.

The walk back to her apartment was odd. People seemed to melt into the shadows when they saw her coming, her silver gear marking her as dangerous and not someone to mess with. As she walked, hands in her pockets, it began to flurry. The flakes brushed Bianca's cheeks and clung to her lashes. Any other day, she would have stopped to relish in the quiet beauty of the snow, but she didn't have time now. As it was, she glanced up at the sky, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Then she thought she saw a flash of silver in a nearby alley, reminding her of the danger she was in, and she quickened her pace to a half-jog.

Bianca almost broke the apartment door off its hinges when she burst through, breathing hard and covered in snowflakes. Nico looked up, surprised at her entrance.

"Bianca, what—"

She grabbed his arm and dragged him up from the couch. "Pack. Now. Anything you'll need for a long trip and that you can fit in a backpack. We have five, ten minutes, maybe less."

The look on her face must have convinced him that things were serious, because he didn't argue; only hastened to his room. Bianca almost ran to her own room, keenly aware of what would happen if she'd miscalculated the Hunters' tolerance. She packed quickly, throwing all the essentials she could think of into her backpack. Once the Hunters realized she wasn't coming back, it wouldn't be safe in the city for her or Nico anymore. The last thing she did was carefully lay out her silver jacket, placing her bow, quiver, and knife neatly on top of it. When the Hunters came looking for her, they'd find them. Maybe they could be given to another girl who would make a different choice than Bianca.

She strode into Nico's room, backpack slung over her shoulder, without bothering to knock. "Are you ready?" she demanded, peering into his bag.

"Yeah, let me just grab—"

"We don't have time, Nico. I'm sorry. What you have is enough." He glared at her but didn't protest, and Bianca softened a little. "Okay, fine. Grab your DS. But then we have to run."

His expression lightened considerably and he snatched the brightly-colored game system off his nightstand and wrestled the charger free of its wall socket. Bianca pushed him ahead of her out of his bedroom and down the hall. She could feel her time limit pressing down on her like it had a physical weight. They were surely almost out time—but maybe they had a minute or so more. That was all she needed, just one minute. Then they could vanish.

The di Angelos moved quickly out of the apartment and down the stairs. Nico almost stumbled once or twice, but Bianca didn't lessen her pace. She knew the clock had almost reached zero, and there was no point in resting if it would get them killed. They could breathe when they were on the train, headed far away from this city.

They reached the lobby and crossed it in a few strides. Bianca now had a stitch in her side and Nico was wheezing a little, but she didn't let up. She threw open the apartment building door—and found herself face-to-face with a loaded silver bow, wielded by Thalia.

The two stared at each other for a long moment. Slowly, Bianca pushed Nico behind her and to the side, so he might have a chance to escape if Thalia loosed her arrow. He wasn't the one she was after, anyway; Bianca was the traitor, not him.

Then, to Bianca's utter shock, Thalia lowered her bow and stepped aside.

"Go," she said hoarsely.

"I—Thalia, what—"

"Don't argue. Go."

Bianca shouldered her pack and pushed Nico ahead of her and down the sidewalk. Before they reached the corner, though, she turned to face Thalia. The Hunter still stood at the apartment building's door, watching them.

"Why?" she asked.

Though her voice was quiet, Thalia answered. "I had a little brother once, too." Then she looked away, her bow nocked but undrawn, as if she were a bored sentry.

Bianca took the hint. "Come on, Nico," she said. "The train leaves in a few minutes."

"Where are we going?" he asked as she led him at a brisk walk out of the building and down the sidewalk.

"Away," Bianca said, because that was all the answer she had. They were getting away from this crumbling city with its rust-colored buildings and hell-deep cracks in the pavement, away from people who hurt others for fun, away from girls in silver jackets who hunted humans for amusement. Maybe the place they ended up wouldn't be a paradise, and things would likely still be hard. But at least, Bianca thought, they wouldn't have to hide in the shadows anymore.


End file.
